Monserrate ‘Moncy’ Shirley’s possible early jail release date, and full apology statement

Netflix’s new true crime series Worst Neigbor Ever tells four true stories of neighbors who turned bad, and Monserrate ‘Moncy’ Shirley is one of the most shocking, so here’s a look at her life in jail now and possible early release date.

The nurse blew up her home in Richmond Hill, Indianapolis in a November 2012 arson plot with her boyfriend Mark Leonard to claim $300,000 of insurance money, and two of her neighbours were killed in the huge explosion.

33 homes were destroyed in the blast and had to be demolished, with many more being damaged. The damage to the neighborhood was estimated to be $4 million, and lots more residents suffered bad injuries.

The now 61-year-old is currently behind bars, but could be released almost 30 years early, and she shared a grovelling apology statement to the court before she was sentenced.

Credit: Netflix

Monserrate ‘Moncy’ Shirley’s life in jail now and earliest possible release date

Moncy Shirley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and was sentenced to 50 years in prison on 20th December 2016, the maximum possible sentence under her plea deal, where she agreed to testify against the Leonard brothers.

She is serving her sentence at Indiana Women’s Prison in Indianapolis and has already been behind bars there for 10 years. Her earliest possible release date is 19th December, 2037, when she will be 72 years old. This means she would have only served 21 years of her 50 year sentence. Moncy has declined all interview requests and lives quietly in prison.

During the trial, her lawyers argued that she was trapped in an abusive relationship and coerced into participating in the arson by her boyfriend Mark. A psychologist diagnosed her with dependent personality disorder, but said the diagnosis didn’t diminish her responsibility.

Shirley told the court that he threatened her and her daughter. “Mark Leonard told me if I ever told anyone about this he would cut me into pieces and my daughter… and no one would ever find us,” she said. “I was afraid! I didn’t want anything to happen to my baby.”

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Credit: Netflix

Moncy shared an apology statement in court before being sentenced

Before the judge handed Moncy her sentence, she shared a full apology statement in court.

“First, I want everyone to know how deeply I am sorry about this horrific tragedy. This is something that will be in my heart forever. I am sorry for causing so much pain, I never thought in my mind it would be like that. I am so sorry for keeping silent after this tragedy, I was scared for my life and for my daughter,” she said.

“On the night of 10th November, 2012, two innocent people’s lives were taken. Two innocent, beautiful people. This is something that will be with me for the rest of my life. I do not have the words to express how sorry I am.”

Speaking directly to the families of the victims, she continued: “We should go first before our children. It is a pain I wish I could take from your heart. My friends, my neighbours who trusted me in my community. I let everyone down. Every day I ask myself why I didn’t stop this. Why didn’t I reach out? But I was scared.”

She concluded: “I wish I could take all of this back. You don’t know how much pain I live with every day of my life.”

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Featured image credit: Netflix